Chapter 4
Journaling and writing a diary are amazing activities! How about we write a few days ahead and plan this week this way?
“All the noise in my brain. I clamp it to the page so it will be still.” by Barbara Kingsolver.
“Writing a journal means that facing your ocean you are afraid to swim across it, so you attempt to drink it drop by drop.”
Barbara Kingsolver and George Sand assert that writing can provide solace for the mind. Putting our internal thoughts on paper brings a sense of calmness, as we contemplate the vastness of the ocean one sip at a time.
In the quiet corners of scripture, we find a profound assurance. Psalm 139:16-17 resonates with the idea; You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God, they cannot be numbered.
Diary Entry #22: January 2024
Starting a new year can feel like navigating uncharted waters. Some plans are set, others uncertain, yet there’s a bit of an awkward feeling as if so much depended on ourselves and our performance. Great guidance is found in the following verse;
Proverbs 16:9 “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.”
Diary Entry #23: January 2024
Whose story is it? Is it my story? Do I need to do it all alone?
Guidance through a voice behind me – yes I like it!
Isaiah 30:21
“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’”
In a world that often emphasizes self-authorship, a different perspective emerges. Isaiah 30:21 suggests that, regardless of our plans, a guiding voice directs our steps. It’s a realization that our narrative might be less about self-dictation and more about listening to divine guidance.
Diary Entry #24: January, 2024
Overthinking creeps in my way. They say, “Look before you leap.” So look. But do not look for too long. Do not look into the void of uncertainty trying to predict each and every possible outcome.
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1. Peter 5:7
Diary Entry #25: January, 2024
Today’s agenda didn’t go as planned – struggling to make progress, overwhelmed by a daunting to-do list, feeling stressed, and encountering unexpected challenges along the way.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Yes, He will straighten our path, your path, my path!
Diary Entry #26: January, 2024
As the week unfolds, it’s already Friday many rays of sunshine pierce through the circumstances, all the work, all the to-do’s and duties.
Time to get anchored a little more:
Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. Romans 8:26-28 The Message
In this journey through this busy week 4 of 2024, the pages of our lives unfold, and the divine narrative weaves through our uncertainties, offering a thread of hope and purpose as He writes the story for us, with us, in us, around us!
Have a great week!
Philemon